(February 12, 1996) Activists from Greenpeace blocked railway tracks moving out of the disused Greifswald nuclear power station in northern Germany twice in late January.
(446.4419) WISE-Amsterdam - Greenpeace was protesting against the shipment of 235 partly used fuel elements to the Paks nuclear reactor in Hungary. Paks is of the same Soviet-designed type as the reactors in Greifswald (the VVER-440/213). The Greifswald reactors had been shut down after the reunification because they did not meet German safety standards and could not be upgraded to western standards.
Greenpeace said the transfer meant German nuclear waste was being disposed of abroad and would almost inevitably end up being reprocessed under poor safety standards in the Russian Mayak plant in the Urals.
"The management of Paks does not regard Greenpeace as qualified to make a judgment in this issue, and feels no need to enter into a debate with this organisation," the Paks management said in a statement.
Source: Reuter, 30, 31 Jan. & 1 Feb. 1996
Contact: Greenpeace Germany, Vorsetzen 53, D-20450 Hamburg, Germany
Tel: +49 (40)31186-0, Fax:+49 (40) 31186-141
E-mail: Greenpeace.Germany@green2.greenpeace.org